Endotracheal tube

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus of the endotracheal type to facilitate rapid intubation of the trachea with an endotracheal tube, with or without a laryngoscope in an operating room or under emergency field conditions where the insert end of an endotracheal tube may be selectively curled to accommodate varying physical conditions of the person to be intubated. The amount of curl imparted to the leading insert end of the endotracheal tube is controlled externally by the person intubating the patient by pulling on a ring attached to a cord within a tunnel on the outside of the tube, the end of the cord remote from the ring being attached to the tube in area above the balloon on the insert end of the tube.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for the rapid intubation of the trachea comprising a hollow solid walled open ended plastic endotracheal tube having a connector tip at one end and being open and variably curvable at the other end for insertion directly into the trachea,   an inflatable balloon carried externally of said tube proximate the open end,   a syringe adapter for administering gas into the balloon extending externally of said hollow tube in the region of the connector tip end and being in gaseous communication with the balloon at the remote end of said tube for inflating same after insertion of the tube into the trachea,   a closed tunnel externally of the solid walled tube having a closed end and an open end for selectively imparting a curl to the tube,   said external tunnel extending from above the balloon to proximate to connector tip, a pull cord within said external tunnel having one end fused to the outside of the endotracheal tube over an area greater than the width of said tunnel and having its free end releasably connected to a split ring to permit removal of the ring upon completion of intubation.